Lockable key-holding receptacle



Dec. 24, 1968 J p, KRlEGER ETAL 3,417,715

LOCKABLE KEY-HOLDING RECEPTACLE Filed May 23, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.I

INVENTORS Jos f I. lfrieyer rg A. Kr/e er ATT R NEY Dec. 24, 1968 J. P.KRIEGER ET AL 3,417,715

LOCKABLE KEY-HOLDING RECEPTACLE Filed May 25, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIZ. 5

INVENTORS Josgph R lfi-ie er Gior'je A. hrieyer a. 6 am ATTOR UnitedStates Patent 3,417 715 LOCKABLE KEY-HOL DING RECEPTACLE Joseph P.Krieger, 402 Chisholm Trail, and George A. Krieger, 619 S. 58th Ave.,both of Yakima, Wash. 98902 Filed May23, 1967, Ser. No. 640,685 7Claims. (Cl. 109-50) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A receptacle for aconcealed house key having a keyoperated closure plug, the receptaclebeing mountable Within a wall recess or the like.

Background of the invention:

It has been common practive where a residence is listed for sale toplace a key to the residence in a box and to mount the box somewhere onthe residence or chain it to a railing or the like. The real estatesalesmen are provided with a master key to the box so that they can openthe box and gain access to the residence key. I

This practice and other similar practices have been subject todifficultiesand generally have not proven to be satisfactory. The box isfrequently stolen or broken open. The present invention overcomes thesedifficulties through the provision of a small recessed container for thehouse key having a locking closure which may be opened by the use of amaster key.

Summary of the invention In accordance with the invention, a recess isdrilled in the house siding or door jamb and a small receptacle ispressed into the recess so as to be flush with the outer surface of thesiding. Themouth of the receptacle is closed Brief description of thedrawings FIGURE 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section through akey holder embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded cross sectional view, partly in elevation,showing the locking or closure plug and the conventional lock cylindercontained therein;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the closure plug; and

FIGURE 7 is a central vertical cross section shOWing a modification.

Description of the preferred embodiments Referring to the drawings,wherein like numerals designate like parts, attention being directed toFIGURES 1 through 6, the numeral 10 designates a portion of a doorframe, jamb, house siding or the like which may be bored out to providetherein a cylindrical recess 11. Into this recess is forced a preferablyplastic, generally cylindrical container or housing 12 for a house key13 which it is desired to enclose in a concealed manner so that onlyauthorized real estate agents or the like may gain access thereto. Thecontainer 12 may be provided with small exterior serrations 'or teeth 14for biting engagement with the bore of the recess 11 so that thecontainer will be moreor-less permanently anchored therein. Thecontainer 12 preferably has an outer end flange 15 integral therewithwhich abuts the forward face of the siding or door frame 10, as shown.

The house key 13 is preferably, although not necessarily, attached bymeans of a chain 16 or the like and a suitable screw 17 to a lockableclosure plug 18 which fits into the mouth of the bore 19 of container12.

As shown particularly in FIGURES 4 through 6, the plug 18 is cylindricalto fit rather closely within the bore 19 and has a flat face 20 formedexternally thereon providing an integral stop projection 21 at the outerend of the plug. The flat face 20 of the plug 18 engages a similar flatsurface or ledge 22 formed in the bore 19 of the container near theouter end portion of the bore, as shown in FIGURE 1. Immediatelyoutwardly of the flat surface 22 there is a small portion of thecylindrical bore 19, indicated at 23, to receive the stop projection 21when the parts are assembled. The inner end of the flat surface 22provides a radial shoulder 24 within the bore 19 of the container whichcoacts with a locking detent 25, carried by a conventional lock cylinder26, such as a five pin lock cylinder, having a key hole 27 and a portion28 which is rotatable within the body of the lock. The construction ofthe lock cylinder per se is well known and need not be shown ordescribed herein. The detent element is fixed to the cylinder body 26 toturn therewith under influence of the proper master key for the key hole27. The detent element 25 may be a split ring formed as shown in FIG-URE 5 for securement to the lock cylinder 26.

The lock cylinder 26 is received within a through bore 29 of plug 18,and the detent element 25 is disposed just inwardly of the plug 18 andbehind the shoulder 24, when in the locked position so that the plug 18cannot be removed from the container 12 and is flush with the outer endthereof.

When the proper master key is used in the lock 26, the lock cylinder canbe turned in the bore 29, causing the detent element 25 to move awayfrom the shoulder 24 so that the entire plug 18 can be removed from thecontainer 12, along with the key 13. When the master key is used for thelock 26, the plug 18 cannot turn because of the coaction of the flatsurfaces 20 and 22 which prevent turning. When the key 13 has been usedto open the house, it is merely reintroduced into the container 12 alongwith the closure plug 18 and lock cylinder 26 and the latter is returnedby use of the master key to the locking position shown in FIGURE 1.

In addition to using the invention for housing and concealing a housekey for real estate salesmen, the device may be permanetly employed bythe home owner as a spare key holder. Building contractors could use theinvention by furnishing master keys for the lock 26 to authorizedsub-contractors and other workers. Since the structure is substantiallyconcealed and virtually flush with the frame or siding 10, it isdifiicult to damage or vandalize and does not attract the attention ofvandals. Without the proper master key, it would be extremely difiicultto gain access to the key 13.

As shown in FIGURE 7, other uses for the recessed container 12 arepossible. The entire plug 18 may be removed and in its place, a plugextension 30 of a fiagstaff holder 31 or the like may be introduced intothe container 12. Such a fiagstaff holder may have a spring-lockinglever 32 including a detent 33 to engage behind the shoulder 24 and bereadily releasable therefrom when desired by depressing the leverextension 34, the plug extension 30 having a slot 35 formed thereinwithin which the spring lever 32 is movable from the locked to thereleased position. The plug extension 30 could also carry an addresssign or like device instead of a flagstalf. There are quite a number ofvaluable uses to which the container in FIGURE 7 may be put, as shouldnow be obvious.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shownand described may be taken as preferred examples of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scopeof the subjoined claims.

We claim:

1. A receptacle for a key or the like comprising a member having arecess formed therein, a container body mounted within the recess andhaving an open end substantially flush with the mouth of the recess, aplug closure within the outer end portion of the container body,coacting faces on the plug closure and container body to preventrotation of the plug closure, and a key-operated lock cylinder mountedupon the plug closure and having a detent element for coaction with aninternal shoulder of the container body, the detent element moving awayfrom said shoulder upon turning of the lock cylinder to release the plugclosure from the container body.

2. A receptacle for a key or the like in accordance with claim 1, andwherein the plug closure has a longitudinal through bore receiving thelock cylinder therein with the inner end portion of the lock cylinderprojecting beyond the inner end of the plug closure, the bore of thecontainer body having said internal shoulder near the inner end of theplug closure.

3. A receptacle for a key or the like in accordance with claim 2, and aprojection on the plug closure near its outer end engageable with a partof the container body to limit the movement of the plug closurelongitudinally into the container body.

4. A holder for a key or the like adapted to be mounted within a boredrecess of a structural member, said holder comprising a substantiallytubular container body having a bore mountable within said bored recess,the bore of the container body containing a flat surface near andinwardly of the forward open end of the container body, a plug closurefor the forward open end of the container body having a coacting flatsurface to engage the firstnamed flat surface to prevent rotation of theplug closure relative to the container body, there being radial shou1ders on the container body at the inner and outer ends of thefirst-named fiat surface, a stop projection on the plug closure at itsouter end engaging one of said shoulders to limit the insertion of theplug closure into the container body, a cylinder lock on the plugclosure and projecting inwardly thereof, and a radial detent element onthe cylinder lock engageable behind the second of said shoulders.

5. A holder for a key in accordance with claim 4, and wherein the plugclosure has a longitudinal bore for the cylinder lock extendingtherethrough near and radially inwardly of said flat surfaces and oifsetfrom the center of the plug closure.

6. A holder for a key in accordance with claim 5, and a flexible elementsecured to the inner end of the plug closure for attachment to a keywithin the bore of the container body.

7. A holder for a key in accordance with claim 4, wherein the outer endof the container body is substantially flush with the surface of thestructural member and the outer end of the plug closure in the lockingposition is substantially flush with the corresponding end of thecontainer body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 968,536 8/1910 Brucklacher 109-501,714,579 5/1929 Werner et a1. 109-68 1,852,053 4/1932 Jendrek 109661,854,839 4/1932 Hermann 10966 2,935,955 5/1960 Mann 10968 REINALDO P.MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

